Spiderman Comic as a gift

[AAXL98]

Hey everyone,

It's my friends Birthday soon and I want to get him a Spiderman comic.

Spiderman is the only superhero he likes, he told me he likes Peter and Gwen together. I'm looking for a good stand alone comic that I can get him. He's never read any comics before, so I'm looking for a good and light read.

Please leave your suggestions below, Thanks!

[Saiga]

Unfortunately, I don't think there are any trades focusing on Peter and Gwen as a couple. All the trades I know of that focus on Gwen are her death, and ones with her clone.

If something about Gwen's death is okay, Spider-man: Blue would be the perfect gift. It has Peter and Mary Jane together, but shows that both of them really miss Gwen.

Otherwise you could pick up one of the Essential Spider-man books from the era when Peter and Gwen were together.

Essential #2 introduces Gwen and contains the classic "If this be my destiny" storyline, but at this stage they don't get along. Essential #3 contains the issues where they start to date, but I'd say the best volume for a Peter/Gwen fan would be Essential #5. This covers the death of Captain Stacy, Gwen's departure for London, her return & reconciliation with Peter, and also contains an issue where Peter and Gwen travel to the Savage Land together.

That said, the Essentials aren't standalone at all and you'd be buying him a comic out of sequence. But I don't know what else would work.

[Speed Force League Unlimited]

Never read a comic, and Spider-Man is the only hero he likes? Dude is missing out by not liking Flash new show, Young Justice, and The Brave and the Bold cartoon.

Anyway, two suggestions come to mind are Amazing Spider-Man 99, and Amazing Spider-Man 87.
87 has better art, 99 has a more lighthearted fun story.

[Saiga]

I totally goofed, I didn't realize "standalone comic" was probably referring to a single issue. In which case I'd recommend Amazing Spider-man 98 (Gwen returns from London) or 103 (Peter and Gwen in the Savage Land).

[Mister Mets]

I'd go with Spider-Man: Blue.

It's a trade paperback in which Peter remembers about how his relationship with Gwen began.

It should be quite accessible to new readers.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/...stories?page=5

Alternatively, the first volume of Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley's Ultimate Spider-Man is a 21st Century retelling of the origin. Gwen Stacy's not in it, but it is really good.

[TotalSnorefest]

If Spider-Man: Blue is not an option for whatever reason... Ultimate Spider-Man has many issues starring Gwen & Peter as teenagers.
A good one could be Ultimate Spider-Man: The World According to Peter Parker. That's widely available in print, pretty sure they're even a couple too at this point (might also be in the next arc, which is called Ultimate Spider-Man: Chameleons).

[AngelJD]

That is hard to find a recommended light hearted and east read Peter and Gwen comic.
616 universe Gwen is famous for her death thus not a light hearted tone for the world.
House of M Spider-Man Universe: Peter and Gwen both live and are together and I enjoyed it but NOT Light hearted (plus while Gwen lives and fights for Peter in there "House of M Spider-Man" that Peter dies in the Spider-Verse found by Superior Spider-Man),
Age of apocalypse universe: Peter is dead and Gwen lives as a human resistance leader and champion for Donald Blake,
there are a couple of Universes they know each other but are not together or together but bad things happen and things don't look up for the two in some form,
some universes Gwen lives but Peter is dead,
some universe Peter lives but Gwen dies,
Ultimate universe: has bounced the two around a bit with Peter and Gwen close, Gwen dies, then "Gwen" returns, they date, they break it off and be BBFs, then Peter dies, but Peter much later returns but they don't end up together.
Spider-Gwen: Gwen Stacy is the Spider hero and the one bit but Peter dies becoming Gwen's own Uncle Ben motivation.


In the 616 universe the people who know better then me has post some comics that might be good for when they were together.

On Television Spectacular Spider-man animated series had both Gwen and Peter and them being in love with each other but sadly it ended and got killed by the red tape with Peter and Gwen wanting each other but pulled away. It's probably well known how great the chemistry was in Amazing Spider-Man movie series but also the end result as well.

Basically for the multiverse it seems that Gwen and Peter have a web of tragedy and bad circumstances that you think they are cursed. Forever entangled but forever apart and if one lives the other dies or they just can't be together may they fight it or not.

Spider-Man Blue is a good read but has a sad tone to it (due to the nature of it and the feelings of Blue/sadness).

[Saiga]

I was actually just motivated to read Spider-Man: Blue, and I think it's the perfect recommendation after re-reading. It focuses on Gwen's life and her relationship with Peter much more than I thought, it's not only a great read but probably the closest to what you're looking for.

[AAXL98]

I totally goofed, I didn't realize "standalone comic" was probably referring to a single issue. In which case I'd recommend Amazing Spider-man 98 (Gwen returns from London) or 103 (Peter and Gwen in the Savage Land).

By standalone comic I meant one single trade that doesn't require continuity, something like "Batman Hush". Do you have any other recommendations? It doesn't have to have Gwen in it, it just has to be a really good read haha.

[Speed Force League Unlimited]

By standalone comic I meant one single trade that doesn't require continuity, something like "Batman Hush". Do you have any other recommendations? It doesn't have to have Gwen in it, it just has to be a really good read haha.

Does your cousin like manga? Many folks I know from the Arabian Gulf region love manga, if he is one of them I suggest getting an essential, probably Essential Amazing Spider-Man 03 or 04.

[Sparko]

I'd also go with Spider-Man: Blue. Nothing like a good reminder that Gwen is and should be dead! Of course there is Spider-Gwen and she's kind of cool in her own way, but not the same thing. Spider-Man: Blue is a pretty damn good read and doesn't require anything prior. Even if your friend knows knowing of the "snap" and all things that happened prior, or after, this is a great single stand-alone trade.

[Mister Mets]

By standalone comic I meant one single trade that doesn't require continuity, something like "Batman Hush". Do you have any other recommendations? It doesn't have to have Gwen in it, it just has to be a really good read haha.

Spider-Man: Blue is by the guy who wrote Batman: Hush.

The most "Hush" like Spider-Man comic is probably Mark Millar's Marvel Knights Spider-Man run. It's twelve issues and features Spider-Man taking on his greatest enemies, although it does reference earlier continuity a lot. It's still quite accessible.

[Gnarlly]

+1 to the Spider-Man: Blue recommendations.
But the previously-mentioned Marvel Knights Spider-Man run (available in TPB or hardcover as with Blue) is better as a one-and-done series IMO. While Blue is more of a romantic (somewhat sad) retrospective, Marvel Knights is like a blockbuster movie with a great beginning, middle, and end.